HEADLINES-ANIBOXES

A MAN IS FOUND DEAD AT THE TARPON STREET PIER.

FORT MYERS POLICE ARE NOW WORKING TO FIGURE OUT WHO HE IS,

AND HOW HE DIED.

MORE FALLOUT THIS MORNING IN LEE COUNTY'S GROUNDED MEDICAL HELICOPTER PROGRAM.

THE E-M-S CHIEF RETIRES.

REACTION FROM ONE OF HER FORMER EMPLOYEES.

AND A FORT MYERS BOY IS FIGHTING FOR HIS LIFE THIS MORNING AFTER HE WAS STRUCK BY LIGHTNING.

HEADLINE 1 DEATH INVESTIGATION FORT MYERS-VIDBOX

HEADLINE 2 MEDSTAR FALLOUT-VIDBOX

HEADLINE 3 JESSE WATLINGTON-VIDBOX

OPEN-CLIP

HELLO-1 SHOT

GOOD MORNING AND WELCOME TO NBC-2 NEWS TODAY.

I'M KARLA RAY.

TODAY IS SUNDAY, OCTOBER SEVENTH.

WE'LL HAVE A LOOK AT TODAY'S TOP STORIES IN JUST A MINUTE.

WEATHER-WX WALL

THIS WEATHERCAST HAS BEEN PREPARED BY THE NBC2 WEATHER STAFF.

IT IS NOT A VERBATIM OF WHAT IS BEING SAID, BUT IS THE FORECAST FOR OUR AREA.

stream of tropical moisture across the Florida peninsula will crank out another day of scattered storms and high humidity for Southwest Florida. A fair amount of clouds will also litter our sky, only allowing for partial sunshine.

Rain chances are back in the forecast today, but most of the storms won't develop until the late afternoon and evening. It looks as though the prime time for rain, as we often see this time of year, will be from 5-8 p.m. One or two storms may be intense, producing heavy rain, lots of lightning, and gusty winds. The slow moving nature of the storms will present the risk for high rain totals in spots that get caught underneath one of the heavy downpours.

Temperatures will be fairly warm again today. We'll spend most of the morning in the mid to upper 70s and then warm to the mid to upper 80s by midday. Most places will see a high close to 90 before the afternoon storms develop, cooling the air slightly with stronger breezes along with more clouds cover.

By this evening a few storms will linger through 8-9 p.m., but tonight's storms shouldn't be as long lived as the ones we around Saturday night. We'll be left with a partly cloudy sky through the overnight with temperatures cooling to the mid 70s by early Monday.

Monday will feature a mix of sun and clouds along with another round of afternoon scattered storms, but changes are coming from Tuesday and beyond. A batch of dry air will slide into Southwest Florida through the day Tuesday, effectively squashing our rain chances for the second half of the week. A few showers and storms will still be possible Tuesday afternoon, but the areal coverage should be much lower.

Wednesday through Friday will be mostly dry with plentiful sunshine and some patchy afternoon clouds. Highs will still be rather warm as we top out close to 90, but a slight dip in humidity will make the air feel a little more comfortable.

BREAKING CLIP-CLIP

LAUREN LIVE TBA-TOSS BOXES

NBC-2 HAS BEEN FOLLOWING BREAKING NEWS ALL MORNING--

A DEATH INVESTIGATION IN FORT MYERS.

TWO PEOPLE FIND A MAN DEAD AT THE TARPON STREET PIER.

THAT'S OFF OF PALM BEACH BOULEVARD IN THE CITY.

WE'RE LEARNING THE DEATH IS SUSPICIOUS.

NBC2'S LAUREN DISPIRITO IS LIVE WHERE THAT BODY WAS FOUND.

LAUREN LIVE TBA-REM LIVE

take lauren live

LAUREN LIVE TBA-PKG

pkg

take sot

Victor Aloyo

36:41 finding a body there, that's kind of strange 3644

VICTOR ALOYO WAS FISHING LAST NIGHT AT TARPON PIER--

THE SAME SPOT WHERE HOURS LATER, POLICE SAY 2 PEOPLE DISCOVERED A DEAD BODY.

sot

sgt ramy moussa

31 44 "at 250 am we received a call by two people walking on the pier they located a subject down on the pier, we arrived we determined that he was deceased" 31:54

FORT MYERS POLICE SERGEANT RAMY MOUSSA SAYS THE BODY IS THAT OF A HISPANIC MAN, BETWEEN 20 AND 30 YEARS OLD, AND THEY'RE NOT YET SAYING HOW HE DIED.

sot

sgt ramy moussa

32:51 its definitely a suspicious death possibly even a homicide but we're still looking into that 32:56

AS POLICE INVESTIGATE WHAT HAPPENED, AND WHY, ALOYO SAYS HE'LL AVOID THE PIER.

sot

victor aloyo

LAUREN LIVE TBA-REM LIVE

live

POLICE TRANSPORTED THE BODY TO THE MEDICAL EXAMINER'S OFFICE.

THEY HAVE NOT YET BEN ABLE TO DETERMINE AN I-D. BUT TELL US BEST DESCRIPTION THEY HAVE IS THAT THE BODY IS OF A HISPANIC MALE, IN HIS 20S OR 30S.

VESSEL TAKES ON WATER-NAVI

EIGHT BOATERS, INCLUDING THREE KIDS, ARE BACK ON DRY LAND THIS MORNING AFTER THE BOAT THEY WERE ON STARTED TAKING ON WATER.

WE FIRST TOLD YOU ABOUT THIS AS IT WAS HAPPENING LAST NIGHT ON NBC-2.

THE COAST GUARD SAYS IT RESPONDED TO A DISTRESS CALL NEAR BOCA GRANDE PASS LATE LAST NIGHT.

OFFICIALS TELL US, FIVE ADULTS AND THREE CHILDREN WERE ON BOARD A 25-FOOT PRO LINER.

THE GROUP WAS DROPPED OFF AT THE PLACIDA BOAT RAMP.

DEVELOPING CLIP-CLIP

MEDSTAR FALLOUT-VO

NOW AN UPDATE TO AN NBC-2 INVESTIGATION WE'VE BEEN FOLLOWING FOR MORE THAN A *MONTH--

E-M-S CHIEF KIM DICKERSON IS OFF THE JOB- FOLLOWING THE MEDSTAR SHUTDOWN IN AUGUST.

DICKERSON HAD BEEN ON ADMINISTRATIVE LEAVE FOR A WEEK.

HER "RETIREMENT" WAS ANNOUNCED IN AN EMAIL TO PUBLIC SAFETY EMPLOYEES YESTERDAY.

THE NEWS COMES ON THE HEELS OF A COUNTY MANAGER REPORT. WHICH STATES TOP E-M-S ADMINISTRATORS *KNEW ABOUT PERSONNEL PROBLEMS WITHIN MEDSTAR.BUT NEVER TOLD COUNTY ADMINISTRATION.

MEDSTAR FALLOUT-SOT VO

8:14:17 we're sitting at home unemployed without any kind of benefits, while the people that have been accused of the wrongdoing are just simply resigning or retiring and continue to draw their pay and their benefits 29

DICKERSON IS THE *SECOND TOP ADMINISTRATOR TO LEAVE LEE COUNTY PUBLIC SAFETY AFTER THE MEDSTAR SHUTDOWN.

FORMER PUBLIC SAFETY DIRECTOR JOHN WILSON RETIRED A WEEK AGO.

WILSON AND DICKERSON SHUT DOWN MEDSTAR WITHOUT NOTICE ON AUGUST 21-ST, ORIGINALLY SAYING IT WAS TO APPLY FOR NATIONAL ACCREDITATION.

SINCE THEN, NBC-2 UNCOVERED MORE THAN THREE-MILLION DOLLARS IN IMPROPERLY BILLED FLIGHTS. AND EMAILS WHICH SUGGEST ACCREDITATION WAS SIMPLY A DIVERSION.

JESSE WATLINGTON UPDATE-OC, MITTO, VO

AN 11-YEAR OLD BOY STRUCK BY LIGHTNING IN FORT MYERS -- IS FIGHTING FOR HIS LIFE THIS MORNING.

JESSE WATLINGTON WAS WALKING TO FOOTBALL PRACTICE WEDNESDAY WHEN THE BOLT HIT HIM.

HE'S A STUDENT AT THE SOUTHWEST FLORIDA CHRISTIAN ACADEMY.

WE HAVE BEEN FOLLOWING THE "PRAY FOR JESSE WATLINGTON" FACEBOOK PAGE.

ONE OF THE LATEST POSTS SAYS JESSE IS ON A RESPIRATOR.

AND IS NOT BREATHING ON HIS OWN.

THE FAMILY HAS BEEN ASKING FOR PRAYERS, AND WE'VE SEEN SUPPORT FROM PEOPLE ACROSS SOUTHWEST FLORIDA.

YESTERDAY'S GAME AGAINST THE COMMUNITY SCHOOL OF NAPLES WAS CANCELLED OUT OF RESPECT FOR JESSE.

JESSE WATLINGTON UPDATE-SOTVO

as a parent it's almost incomprehensible how you would feel

we got someone struggling right now, and that's a lot more important that playing a game

JESSE IS STILL IN CRITICAL CONDITION AT TAMPA GENERAL HOSPITAL.

TO SHARE YOUR PRAYERS AND LIKE JESSE'S PAGE ONLINE. GO TO OUR WEBSITE, N-B-C DASH TWO DOT COM.

DECISION 2012-CLIP

CAMPAIGN TRAIL TODAY-HALF SCREEN RVL

EXACTLY ONE MONTH TO GO UNTIL THE NOVEMBER PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION.

PRESIDENT OBAMA IS BACK ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL TODAY-

HE'LL BE CAMPAIGNING IN CALIFORNIA.

REPUBLICAN CHALLENGER MITT ROMNEY IS STILL IN FLORIDA.

HE'S SPEAKING AT A RALLY IN PORT SAINT LUCIE.

THAT'S ON THE EAST COAST.

ROMNEY OBAMA POLL-VOTOPS

A NEW POLL RELEASED SATURDAY HAS PRESIDENT OBAMA MAINTAINING A SLIM LEAD OVER REPUBLICAN CHALLENGER MITT ROMNEY.

THE REUTERS POLL SHOWS OBAMA LEADING ROMNEY BY 47-TO-45 PERCENT.

THE POLL DID NOT REVEAL ANY MOVEMENT OF OBAMA BACKERS SHIFTING SUPPORT TO ROMNEY.

IT FOUND ROMNEY POSTED SOME GAINS FROM UNDECIDED VOTERS.

VOTER REGISTRATION-VOWIPE

JUST DAYS BEFORE THE DEADLINE TO REGISTER TO VOTE.

BOTH DEMOCRATS AND REPUBLICANS ARE OUT IN FULL FORCE TRYING TO MAKE SURE THEIR CANDIDATES WINS IN NOVEMBER.

THIS TUESDAY, IS THE LAST DAY TO REGISTER TO VOTE.

LOCAL DEMOCRATS TELL US THEY ARE WORKING TO REGISTER VOTERS, PARTICULARY MINORITES TO VOTE FOR PRESIDENT OBAMA.

VOTER REGISTRATION-SOTVO

41:27 "We're just trying to get as many people registered to vote as we can." - Mickey Gargan, Collier County Democratic Party Chair

54:17"We liked doing that actually the best that's what our forte is, the grassroots campaign." - Eloise Thomson, Republican Party, Collier County

$36 MILLION WORTH OF DRUGS-ON CAM

NEW THIS MORNING:

NBC-2 HAS JUST LEARNED THE COAST GUARD PLANS TO OFFLOAD 36-MILLION DOLLARS WORTH OF DRUGS IN SAINT PETERSBURG TODAY.

THE COAST GUARD SAYS A HELICOPTER CREW IN THE WESTERN CARIBBEAN SPOTTED FOUR BOATERS SUSPECTED OF SMUGGLING DRUGS DURING A LAW ENFORCEMENT PATROL.

THE CREW TRIED TO STOP THEM.

DURING THE PURSUIT, WE'RE TOLD THE FOUR SUSPECTS JUMPED INTO THE WATER TO GET AWAY.

ALL FOUR PEOPLE WERE FOUND.

THE SUSPECTED DRUG SMUGGLERS ARE FROM HONDURAS.

THINGS 2 DO TODAY-1 SHOT CGS

THERE'S ONE MORE DAY OF THE WEEKEND LEFT TO ENJOY!

WE HAVE SOME IDEAS FOR HOW YOU CAN SPEND YOUR DAY.

YOU'LL FIND THESE DANCERS AT THIS YEAR'S ITALIAN FEST.

ALONG WITH ALL OF YOUR FAVORITE FOODS.

THE EVENT IS AT THE ALLIANCE OF THE ARTS. IN FORT MYERS.

IT'S TODAY.

FROM ELEVEN TO FIVE.

THERE IS A SUGGESTED FIVE DOLLAR DONATION.

OR YOU CAN HEAD OUT TO THE TASTE OF COCONUT POINT!

IT'S IN ESTERO.

FROM ELEVEN-THIRTY TO FOUR AT COCONUT POINT MALL.

YOU'LL FIND FOOD FROM 20 RESTAURANTS!

TEASE ONE-1 SHOT

IN TODAY'S HEALTH MATTERS.

BLADDER INFECTIONS--

WHAT YOU DON'T KNOW MIGHT HURT YOU.

DETAILS NEXT.

PLUS:

RISHI IS IN NEXT WITH SPORTS.

TZ1 A HEALTH MATTERS-VOWP

TZ1 B SPORTS-VOTOPS

HEALTHBEAT-PLASMA

URINARY TRACT INFECTIONS MAY BE A COMMON CONDITION, BUT IF THEY DON'T GET PROPER ATTENTION,

THEY COULD BECOME A REAL PROBLEM.

HEALTHBEAT-PKG

PKG:

AFFECTING PEOPLE OF BOTH SEXES AND ALL AGES, THE URINARY TRACT INFECTION DOESN'T DISCRIMINATE.

DR. MARK MINTZ/UROLOGIST

RUNS:

:09 At any one time in the world, two percent of the female population will have a urinary tract infection.

AMY OSHIER/REPORTING

RUNS:

At best it's an annoyance, at worst it can cause serious illness. UTIs can go by different names, depending on what part of the urinary tract is infected. Most common is the bladder.

DR. MARK MINTZ/UROLOGIST

RUNS:

:09 Usually it presents with symptoms of urination frequency, urgency, burning on urination, may even see blood in the urination. You might have a fever, might not have a fever.

MORE FREQUENT IN WOMEN, BECAUSE OF THEIR ANATOMY, THE INFECTIONS ARE CAUSED BY ANY NUMBER OF BACTERIA.

DR. MARK MINTZ/UROLOGIST

RUNS:

1:01 The most common is e-coli. About 85 percent of all urinary tract infections are e-coli. And actually about 85 percent of an uncomplicated urinary tract infection will respond to sulfides if that person doesn't have an allergy to that usually responds.

A SHORT COURSE OF ANTIBIOTICS IS USUALLY ALL THAT'S NEEDED TO CLEAR THE INFECTION. BUT FOR SOME PEOPLE IT ISN'T THAT SIMPLE.

DR. MARK MINTZ/UROLOGIST

RUNS:

4:09 If there's any problems such as they're also diabetic or they have a problem where they've had some previous surgery in that area, they may want to run it a little longer. There's other infections that won't go away over a period of time that you have to run for maybe three or four weeks. Another subset of people who develop urinary tract infections so frequently that we actually put them on a suppressant, what we call a low dose antibiotic, something to kill the bacteria but not necessarily be a heavy antibiotic.

FORECAST OPEN-CLIP

FORECAST-WXWALL

THIS WEATHERCAST HAS BEEN PREPARED BY THE NBC2 WEATHER STAFF.

IT IS NOT A VERBATIM OF WHAT IS BEING SAID, BUT IS THE FORECAST FOR OUR AREA.

stream of tropical moisture across the Florida peninsula will crank out another day of scattered storms and high humidity for Southwest Florida. A fair amount of clouds will also litter our sky, only allowing for partial sunshine.

Rain chances are back in the forecast today, but most of the storms won't develop until the late afternoon and evening. It looks as though the prime time for rain, as we often see this time of year, will be from 5-8 p.m. One or two storms may be intense, producing heavy rain, lots of lightning, and gusty winds. The slow moving nature of the storms will present the risk for high rain totals in spots that get caught underneath one of the heavy downpours.

Temperatures will be fairly warm again today. We'll spend most of the morning in the mid to upper 70s and then warm to the mid to upper 80s by midday. Most places will see a high close to 90 before the afternoon storms develop, cooling the air slightly with stronger breezes along with more clouds cover.

By this evening a few storms will linger through 8-9 p.m., but tonight's storms shouldn't be as long lived as the ones we around Saturday night. We'll be left with a partly cloudy sky through the overnight with temperatures cooling to the mid 70s by early Monday.

Monday will feature a mix of sun and clouds along with another round of afternoon scattered storms, but changes are coming from Tuesday and beyond. A batch of dry air will slide into Southwest Florida through the day Tuesday, effectively squashing our rain chances for the second half of the week. A few showers and storms will still be possible Tuesday afternoon, but the areal coverage should be much lower.

Wednesday through Friday will be mostly dry with plentiful sunshine and some patchy afternoon clouds. Highs will still be rather warm as we top out close to 90, but a slight dip in humidity will make the air feel a little more comfortable.

SPORTS-PKG

CRIME STOPPERS-ON CAM

12 YEARS AGO, A 59-YEAR OLD NORTH FORT MYERS WOMAN DISAPPEARED, UNDER VERY SUSPICIOUS CIRCUMSTANCES.

DETECTIVES AND FAMILY MEMBERS BELIEVE OLIVE PETTY IS DEAD,

BUT THE QUESTION STILL REMAINS AS TO WHAT HAPPENED TO HER.

CRIME STOPPERS-PKG

Crime Stoppers segment for 10/6/12 TRT: 2:07

SUPERS

:12 Det. Jeff Brown / LCSO

:53 Trish Routte / SWFL Crime Stoppers

1:41 Det. Jeff Brown / LCSO

2:00 Det. Jeff Brown / LCSO

Twelve years ago, Olive Petty attended her annual family reunion in Kentucky. But just days after she returned to her North Fort Myers home, and to her husband of more than 20 years, Petty would vanish without a trace.

Det. Jeff Brown - "In today's society, the ability to never again use a Social Security number, have a job, a bank account or register a car in your name, and do all the functions of everyday life - to make all those cease is almost impossible."

The mysterious disappearance of 59 year old Petty immediately signaled red flags for her family, who hadn't heard from Olive since her return from the reunion.

Ron Royce - "She called and said 'mom, I'm home and everything's ok.' And that's the last we heard anything from her."

Trish Routte: When nearly a week went by since hearing from Olive, the family received a phone call from her husband - simply telling them that Olive was missing. With that news, family members came to Lee County to find out what had happened. But their arrival wasn't met with open arms.

Ron Royce - "He was just plum frustrated that we were down there and he said, 'well, she left.' It was evident on his face, his attitude that he was not concerned and didn't care."

Petty's brother Ron is adamant that his sister wouldn't just pick up and leave, and seemingly fall off the face of the earth.

Ron Royce - "It's totally against her character and her demeanor. She loved her mother and family."

When detectives stepped in to help figure out what happened, they, too, received resistance from Olive's husband - who refused to take a simple polygraph test.

Det. Brown - "He was less than cooperative. He refused to assist in the investigation at all into his wife who had just been reported missing."

Olive and Bobby were well known in their neighborhood, often frequenting the Elks Lodge with friends. Detectives are hoping someone who knew Olive back in the day can now help piece together the details of her disappearance.

Det. Brown - "It's never too late to grow a conscience and come forward, and it only takes a phone call."

For Southwest Florida Crime Stoppers, I'm Trish Routte.

CRIME STOPPERS-ON CAM

TEASE THREE-1 SHOT

DRIVERS IN CALIFORNIA. DIGGING DEEPER INTO THEIR POCKETS TO FILL UP THIS MORNING.

GAS PRICES REACH AN ALL TIME HIGH THERE.

TZ3 A CA GAS PRICES RECORD HIGH-VO-WIPE

TZ3 B SEWER SPILL UPDATE-VOTOPS

HEADLINES-ANIBOXES

NBC-2 IS FOLLOWING BREAKING NEWS.

A DEATH INVESTIGATION UNDERWAY RIGHT NOW IN FORT MYERS.

A MAN IS FOUND DEAD AT THE TARPON STREET PIER.

WE'RE ON SCENE WITH THE LATEST.

GAS PRICES REACH A RECORD HIGH IN CALIFORNIA!

WHAT'S BEHIND THE SPIKE.

AND WHEN THOSE PRICES COULD LEVEL OFF.

AND ANOTHER DEATH LINKED TO A MENINGITIS OUTBREAK.

HEADLINE 1 FM DEATH INVESTIGATION-VIDBOX

HEADLINE 2 CA GAS PRICES-VIDBOX

HEADLINE 3 MENINGITIS UPDATE-VIDBOX

SHOW OPEN-CLIP

HELLO AGAIN-1 SHOT

GOOD MORNING.

WELCOME TO NBC-2 NEWS TODAY.

TODAY IS SUNDAY, OCTOBER SEVENTH.

LAUREN LIVE TBA-TOSS BOXES

WE WANT TO GET RIGHT TO THAT BREAKING NEWS WE'VE BEEN FOLLOWING ALL MORNING OUT OF FORT MYERS.

A MAN FOUND DEAD AT THE TARPON STREET PIER.

THAT'S OFF OF PALM BEACH BOULEVARD IN THE CITY OF FORT MYERS.

NBC-2'S LAUREN DISPIRITO HAS BEEN THERE ALL MORNING GATHERING NEW INFORMATION.

LAUREN LIVE TBA-REM LIVE

take lauren live

LAUREN LIVE TBA-PKG

pkg

fort myers police say two people walking came across a dead body, found near the middle of the tarpon street pier.

it happened just before 3 this morning.

police say the body is that of a hispanic male

they have not yet been able to identify him, but say he's around 20 or 30 years old

they are not saying how he died.

sots/supers

7 sec total

sgt ramy moussa, fmpd

then

victor aloyo, visits the pier

cont vo

its a place people fish and walk, especially in the morning, for walkers.

LAUREN LIVE TBA-REM LIVE

FORECAST-WX WALL

THIS WEATHERCAST HAS BEEN PREPARED BY THE NBC2 WEATHER STAFF.

IT IS NOT A VERBATIM OF WHAT IS BEING SAID, BUT IS THE FORECAST FOR OUR AREA.

stream of tropical moisture across the Florida peninsula will crank out another day of scattered storms and high humidity for Southwest Florida. A fair amount of clouds will also litter our sky, only allowing for partial sunshine.

Rain chances are back in the forecast today, but most of the storms won't develop until the late afternoon and evening. It looks as though the prime time for rain, as we often see this time of year, will be from 5-8 p.m. One or two storms may be intense, producing heavy rain, lots of lightning, and gusty winds. The slow moving nature of the storms will present the risk for high rain totals in spots that get caught underneath one of the heavy downpours.

Temperatures will be fairly warm again today. We'll spend most of the morning in the mid to upper 70s and then warm to the mid to upper 80s by midday. Most places will see a high close to 90 before the afternoon storms develop, cooling the air slightly with stronger breezes along with more clouds cover.

By this evening a few storms will linger through 8-9 p.m., but tonight's storms shouldn't be as long lived as the ones we around Saturday night. We'll be left with a partly cloudy sky through the overnight with temperatures cooling to the mid 70s by early Monday.

Monday will feature a mix of sun and clouds along with another round of afternoon scattered storms, but changes are coming from Tuesday and beyond. A batch of dry air will slide into Southwest Florida through the day Tuesday, effectively squashing our rain chances for the second half of the week. A few showers and storms will still be possible Tuesday afternoon, but the areal coverage should be much lower.

Wednesday through Friday will be mostly dry with plentiful sunshine and some patchy afternoon clouds. Highs will still be rather warm as we top out close to 90, but a slight dip in humidity will make the air feel a little more comfortable.

NEW RIGHT NOW CLIP-CLIP

RECORD GAS PRICES CALIFORNIA-ON CAM

PEOPLE IN CALIFORNIA CAN'T CATCH A BREAK.

GAS PRICES THERE REACHED A *RECORD HIGH THIS MORNING.

GAS JUMPED ANOTHER FOUR CENTS OVERNIGHT THERE.

SOME DRIVERS. PAYING FIVE BUCKS A GALLON!

RECORD GAS PRICES CALIFORNIA-PKG

SUPERS:

RAYMOND SCOTT/CALIFORNIA DRIVER

COURTESY OF AAA/0:22-:0:30

SAM KRIKORIAN/GAS STATION OWNER

JEFFREY SPRING/AAA SPOKESPERSON

SCRIPT:

CALIFORNIA MOTORISTS WOKE THIS MORNING TO A CRUEL PRICE HIKE AT THE PUMP.

AFTER JUMPING DRAMATICALLY OVERNIGHT. THE AVERAGE GALLON OF GAS IS NOW THE

HIGHEST IN THE NATION.AT 4-61 AND CLIMBING.

SOT - Raymond Scott, California Diver / "The gas prices are $5 a gallon, I

mean it's ridiculous. it takes $100 to fill it up."

DRIVERS HAVEN'T SEEN THESEPRICES SINCE 2008.

GAS IN NEW YORK, CONNECTICUT, AND NEW HAMPSHIRE ARE ALSO HIGH FOR THE YEAR.

AND DRIVERS IN THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST ARE FEELING THE PINCH AS WELL.

EXPERTS SAY REFINERY ISSUES HAVE CREATED TIGHT SUPPLIES.

IN CALIFORNIA. POWER PROBLEMS TOOK EXXON'S PLANT OUT OF COMMISSION EARLY

LAST WEEK.

AND A FIRE AT A RICHMOND REFINERY IN AUGUST ADDED TO A SHORTFALL ALREADY

CREATED BY PIPELINE PROBLEMS.

SOME INDEPENDENT STATION OWNERS - CITING THE HIGH COST OF WHOLESALE FUEL --

HAVE EVEN STOPPED SELLING GAS ALTOGETHER.

SOT - Sam Krikorian / "Well I hate to say this but it looks like I'm gonna

shut it down after all these years in the business.close to 30 years."

BUT ANALYSTS SAY FUEL PRICES MAY LEVEL OFF THIS WEEK. NOW THAT OPERATIONS

ARE BACK ONLINE AT THE EXXON PLANT.

SOT - Jeffrey Spring, AAA / "It means more supply, which means the

wholesale market will start to calm down a little bit and that will bring

prices down for the retail market as well."

IN FACT, SOME STATIONS THAT SAW DRAMATIC PRICE SPIKES - NEAR SIX DOLLARS A

GAS PRICES SWFL-CGTOPS

HERE IN SOUTHWEST FLORIDA WE'RE NOT PAYING *THAT MUCH.

THE LOCAL AVERAGE PRICE FOR A GALLON OF GAS IS ABOUT THREE DOLLARS AND 70 CENTS.

STATEWIDE THE AVERAGE IS A LITTLE LOWER, THREE DOLLARS AND 67 CENTS.

SARASOTA CRASH FOLO-VOWIPE

TROOPERS NOW BELIEVE SPEED-- AND *HEAVY RAIN ARE TO BLAME FOR A CHAIN REACTION OF 12 DIFFERENT CRASHES ALONG I-75 NEAR SARASOTA.

THIS IS VIDEO FROM THE MASSIVE PILE UP FRIDAY.

IT HAPPENED IN THE SOUTHBOUND LANES OF THE INTERSTATE.

47 CARS ARE DAMAGED.

MORE THAN 50 PEOPLE WERE INJURED - TWO CONSIDERED TRAUMA CASES.

THE CRASHES BACKED UP TRAFFIC FOR HOURS.

SARASOTA CRASH FOLO-SOT VO

What happened with us - and I think it happened to several other people - is since we weren't moving, our car kept overheating so we had to pull over to the side, low on gas, it was just kind if a messy situation for everybody.

THE CRASH HAPPENED NEAR THE SARASOTA-MANATEE COUNTY LINE.

FMB SEWAGE UPDATE-VO

AN ALERT FOR SWIMMERS AND FISHERMEN NEAR FORT MYERS BEACH THIS MORNING.

LEE COUNTY UTILITIES REPORTS 100 THOUSAND GALLONS OF SEWAGE SPILLED INTO THE STREET AND DOWN STORM DRAINS FRIDAY.

OFFICIALS SAY AN AGING PIPE IS TO BLAME.

IT HAPPENED AT THE LIFT STATION ON MAIN STREET, SAN CARLOS ISLAND.

CREWS SPENT YESTERDAY MORNING CLEANING UP.

RED TIDE FOLO-VO

RED TIDE IS INCHING CLOSER TO SOUTHWEST FLORIDA.

SCIENTISTS JUST FOUND A NEW BLOOM BETWEEN SANIBEL ISLAND AND NAPLES.

BUT- IT'S SMALL AND NO FISH KILLS HAVE BEEN REPORTED IN THAT AREA.

A FISH KILL WAS REPORTED EARLIER THIS WEEK IN CHARLOTTE COUNTY.

PANTHER DEATH-ON CAM

NBC-2 IS LEARNING A CAR CRASH KILLED A FLORIDA PANTHER IN COLLIER COUNTY.

IT HAPPENED EARLY YESTERDAY MORNING,

ON US-41 EAST OF SAN MARCO ROAD.

ACCORDING TO F-W-C, THE FEMALE PANTHER WAS ABOUT TWO AND A HALF YEARS OLD.

BIOLOGISTS HAD TAGGED HER EARLIER THIS YEAR IN THE PICAYUNE STRAND STATE FOREST.

THE FLORIDA PANTHER IS AN ENDANGERED ANIMAL.

EDISON MALL JOB FAIR-VOWIPE

HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE PACKED THE EDISON MALL FOR A CHANCE TO SCORE A JOB.

TAKE A LOOK AT THIS.

MORE THAN 500 PEOPLE LINED UP YESTERDAY FOR THE MALL'S JOB FAIR.

12 STORES WERE THERE LOOKING TO HIRE FOR AT LEAST 150 OPENINGS.

EDISON MALL JOB FAIR-SOTVO

Some people are here for the full time jobs, maybe they haven't been able to find a job. Some people are here to get a little extra income in their pocket. So it's a great opportunity for people of all different walks of life.

SPACE X LAUNCH TONIGHT-ON CAM

HAPPENING TONIGHT:

PRIVATE COMPANY, SPACE-X, IS GETTING READY TO LAUNCH ANOTHER CARGO SHIP TO THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION.

TONIGHT, THE CALIFORNIA-BASED COMPANY WILL ATTEMPT TO SEND A DRAGON CAPSULE INTO SPACE--

LIFT-OFF IS SCHEDULED FOR EIGHT-35 TONIGHT FROM CAPE CANAVERAL.

MENINGITIS DEATHS RISE-VO

NEW THIS MORNING:

HEALTH OFFICIALS SAY A SEVENTH PERSON HAS DIED FROM A RARE FUNGAL MENINGITIS OUTBREAK.

THE CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL REPORTS THE OUTBREAK HAS SPREAD TO MORE THAN 60 PEOPLE ACORSS NINE STATES, INCLUDING FLORIDA.

HEALTH OFFICIALS HAVE LINKED THE DISEASE TO STEROID INJECTIONS USED TO TREAT BACK PAIN.

POPE'S BUTLER COULD BE PARDONED-VO

A VATICAN COURT CONVICTED POPE BENEDICT'S FORMER BUTLER OF STEALING THE POPE'S DOCUMENTS AND LEAKING THEM TO A JOURNALIST.

PAOLO GABRIELE'S SENTENCE WAS REDUCED FROM THREE YEARS TO 18-MONTHS BECAUSE OF HIS CLEAN RECORD AND ADMISSION OF GUILT.

THE BUTLER SAID HE LEAKED THE DOCUMENTS OUT OF A LOVE FOR THE CHURCH AND POPE BENEDICT.

CO MISSING GIRL-VO

THE SEARCH WILL GET UNDERWAY ONCE AGAIN THIS MORNING FOR A 10-YEAR-OLD GIRL WHO WENT MISSING IN A DENVER SUBURB.

POLICE SAY JESSICA RIDGEWAY LEFT HER HOME FRIDAY MORNING, BUT NEVER MADE IT TO A PARK WHERE SHE USUALLY MEETS A FRIEND TO WALK TO SCHOOL.

CO MISSING GIRL-SOTVO

S/ CURTIS POCIUS / VOLUNTEER SEARCHER:08

"YOU'VE GOT A COMMUNITY OUT HERE RIGHT NOW THAT'S PULLING TOGETHER TO FIND EVERY PIECE OF EVIDENCE THEY CAN TO GET THIS GIRL BACK TO HER MOM."

POLICE SAY THEY GOT A LATE START IN THE CASE. BECAUSE THE GIRL'S MOTHER DIDN'T IMMEDIATELY REALIZE SHE WAS MISSING.

TEASE FOUR-1 SHOT

AS THE TEMPERATURES START TO DROP,

LITTLE PESTS MAKE THEIR WAY INTO YOUR HOMES.

AND EXPERTS SAY STINK BUGS ARE SPREADING!

HOW TO KEEP THEM AWAY.

PLUS.

A POLITICAL SHOWDOWN--

BUT NOT BETWEEN THE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES.

COMING UP. THE HIGHLY-WATCHED DEBATE BETWEEN JON STEWART AND BILL O'REILLY.

BUT FIRST. HERE ARE TODAY'S LOTTERY NUMBERS FOR CASH THREE - PLAY FOUR AND FANTASY FIVE.

TZ4 A STINK BUGS TAKING OVER-VO WIPE

TZ4 B CABLE TV DEBATE-VO TOPS

LOTTO-CG

STINK BUGS TAKING OVER-VO PLASMA

NOW TO "INFESTATION NATION."

AS THE TEMPERATURES DROP NASTY STINK BUGS ARE MOVING INSIDE.

HIDING IN ATTICS AND WALLS, WAITING FOR SPRING.

AND IF THEY HAVEN'T REACHED YOUR AREA -- JUST WAIT -- THEY'RE SPREADING.

STINK BUGS TAKING OVER-PKG

SCRIPT:

THEY'RE CREEPY, CRAWLY AND NOT TO MENTION STINKY.

"There are millions of them. It's the worst thing I've ever seen in my life

."

KERNOS BALL SAYS HE'S TRIED EVERYTHING TO KEEP THESE PESKY STINK BUGS FROM

OVERRUNNING HIS HOME IN NORTHERN VIRGINIA. STOMP THEM AND THEY'LL HIT YOU

WITH A PUNGENT BLAST.

SPRAY OR SWEEP THEM AND THEY JUST KEEP COMING BACK. IT'S GOTTEN SO BAD,

SOME DAYS HE HAS TO CHANGE HIS CLOTHES IN THE GARAGE BEFORE HE CAN GO INSIDE

.

SOT: "It's the whole neighborhood's covered. Everybody up here has got the

same problem."

IT'S NOT JUST VIRGINIA.THIS GUY IN PITTSBURGH CAN'T SEEM TO CATCH A BREAK

EITHER.

FROM HIS HOME TO HIS CAR EVEN HIS HAT.

MICHIGAN SNOW-OC, VO

PEOPLE IN MICHIGAN ARE GETTING AN EARLY START TO WINTER!

FALL LEAVES ARE STILL CHANGING COLORS BUT THERE'S ALREADY SNOW ON THE GROUND IN PARTS OF THE COUNTRY.

THIS WAS THE FIRST SNOWFALL OF THE YEAR FOR MICHIGAN'S UPPER PENINSULA.

PEOPLE THERE ALSO SAW SOME RAIN AND SLEET.

FORECAST OPEN-CLIP

FORECAST-WXWALL

THIS WEATHERCAST HAS BEEN PREPARED BY THE NBC2 WEATHER STAFF.

IT IS NOT A VERBATIM OF WHAT IS BEING SAID, BUT IS THE FORECAST FOR OUR AREA.

stream of tropical moisture across the Florida peninsula will crank out another day of scattered storms and high humidity for Southwest Florida. A fair amount of clouds will also litter our sky, only allowing for partial sunshine.

Rain chances are back in the forecast today, but most of the storms won't develop until the late afternoon and evening. It looks as though the prime time for rain, as we often see this time of year, will be from 5-8 p.m. One or two storms may be intense, producing heavy rain, lots of lightning, and gusty winds. The slow moving nature of the storms will present the risk for high rain totals in spots that get caught underneath one of the heavy downpours.

Temperatures will be fairly warm again today. We'll spend most of the morning in the mid to upper 70s and then warm to the mid to upper 80s by midday. Most places will see a high close to 90 before the afternoon storms develop, cooling the air slightly with stronger breezes along with more clouds cover.

By this evening a few storms will linger through 8-9 p.m., but tonight's storms shouldn't be as long lived as the ones we around Saturday night. We'll be left with a partly cloudy sky through the overnight with temperatures cooling to the mid 70s by early Monday.

Monday will feature a mix of sun and clouds along with another round of afternoon scattered storms, but changes are coming from Tuesday and beyond. A batch of dry air will slide into Southwest Florida through the day Tuesday, effectively squashing our rain chances for the second half of the week. A few showers and storms will still be possible Tuesday afternoon, but the areal coverage should be much lower.

Wednesday through Friday will be mostly dry with plentiful sunshine and some patchy afternoon clouds. Highs will still be rather warm as we top out close to 90, but a slight dip in humidity will make the air feel a little more comfortable.

MAN CLIMBS TOWER WITH BARE HANDS-NATVO

THE MAN KNOWN AS THE "FRENCH SPIDERMAN" HAS DONE IT AGAIN!

NATS CHEERING

YOU CAN HEAR AN EXCITED CROWD. AS THIS DAREDEVIL CLIMBED A BELL TOWER IN SWITZERLAND WITH HIS BARE HANDS!

HE MADE IT TO THE TOP OF THE ABBEY IN SAINT-MAURICE'S 161-FOOT-TALL BELL TOWER.

HUGE PUMPKIN RHODE ISLAND-VO

IT'S ALMOST HALLOWEEN, AND MANY OF YOU MAY BE PICKING OUT THAT PERFECT PUMPKIN.

BUT THERE'S A GOOD CHANCE IT WON'T BE AS BIG AS THIS ONE OUT OF RHODE ISLAND.

JUST DAYS AFTER UNVEILING THE WORLD'S LARGEST PUMPKIN IN MASSACHUSETTS LAST WEEK --

WEIGHING TWO THOUSAND, NINE POUNDS --

THE *SAME PUMPKIN GROWER IS SHOWING OFF A PUMPKIN EVEN BIGGER!

TEASE FIVE-1 SHOT

COMING UP NEXT ON NBC-2 NEWS TODAY.

WE'LL HAVE A LOOK AT TODAY'S TOP STORIES,

AND A FINAL CHECK OF YOUR FORECAST.

BUT FIRST HERE'S A PREVIEW OF WHAT'S UP NEXT ON TODAY'S MEET THE PRESS.

TZ5 MEET THE PRESS-SOT

CABLE DEBATE-ON CAM

NOW TO A POLITICAL SHOWDOWN--

NOT BETWEEN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES BUT RATHER, CABLE T-V HEAVYWEIGHTS.

IN ONE CORNER, "THE DAILY SHOW'S" JON STEWART.

IN THE OTHER, BILL O'REILLY OF FOX NEWS.

SO MANY PEOPLE WANTED TO WATCH ONLINE LAST NIGHT-- THE SERVER ACTUALLY CRASHED.

CABLE DEBATE-PKG

SCRIPT:

20:10:40

"We're weeks away from being a failed state or even worse Greece and the way

to solve it? is to kill big bird?"

IT'S THE DEBATE THIS ELECTION SEASON.THAT'S CLOCKING IN THE LAUGHS

20:16:40

"may I borrow one of your cards for this"

-

"Drones Yes. Waterboards No.

It's insanity!

FOX NEWS ANCHOR BILL O-REILLY TOOK ON COMEDIAN JOHN STEWART

20:26:10

bill oreilly dance

here we go the gov will give it to us

applause

12:30

no no no no no -

IN A 90 MINUTE DEBATE SATURDAY NIGHT WITH TOPICS RANGING FROM FUNDING P-B-S

" Give me my money back, the $800 billion for the Iraq War, and children's

television is on the house."

TO TAXES.

20:31:37:17

JS: Why is it that if you take advantage of a tax break and you're a

corporation, you're a smart businessman. But if you take advantage of

something that you need to not be hungry, you are a moocher?- it's

ridiculous!!! applause

AND EVEN FOREIGN POLICY:

20:42:52

"It appears that American foreign policy has to been go into the Middle East

and buy friends does that ever work?

O'Reilly: Yeah you can buy friends -

- yeah I think it works"

THERE WERE MOMENTS YOU'LL LIKELY NEVER SEE IN THE PRESIDENTIAL DEBATES.

HERE'S THEIR ADVICE FOR BRIDGING THE BIPARTISAN DIVIDED IN CONGRESS.

ONE MAJOR SNAFU OF THE NIGHT. SOME VIEWERS--WHO PAID THE $4.95 TO WATCH--

- HAD DIFFICULTY STREAMING THE DEBATE LIVE. THERE WAS SO MUCH DEMAND IT

OVERLOADED THE SERVERS. PROMPTING TWEETS LIKE THIS:

@AmyHalvo

Your site is more broken than America.

@tedshaker

The Rumble 2012 will soon be followed by The Refund 2012

TAG:

AT A PRESS CONFERENCE AFTER THE DEBATE.BILL OREILLY RESPONDED

TOP STORIES 1 DEATH INVESTIGATION-TRX-VOTOPS

NOW LET'S TAKE A LOOK AT TODAY'S TOP STORIES.

NBC-2 HAS BEEN FOLLOWING BREAKING NEWS ALL MORNING.

FORT MYERS POLICE ARE INVESTIGATING A BODY FOUND ON THE TARPON STREET PIER.

THAT'S IN FORT MYERS NEAR PALM BEACH BOULEVARD.

NBC2 HAS LEARNED TWO PEOPLE WALKING ON THE PIER FOUND THE BODY JUST BEFORE THREE THIS MORNING.

TOP STORIES 2 JESSE WATLINGTON CONDITION-VOTOP-WIP

A FAMILY CONTINUES TO ASK FOR YOUR PRAYERS THIS MORNING.

FORT MYERS STUDENT JESSE WATLINGTON WAS STRUCK BY LIGHTNING WEDNESDAY WHILE AT FOOTBALL PRACTICE.

WE HAVE BEEN FOLLOWING THE PRAY FOR JESSE WATLINGTON FACEBOOK PAGE-

TOP STORIES 3 GAS PRICES-CGTOP-WIPE

DRIVERS IN CALIFORNIA ARE PAYING A *RECORD HIGH AMOUNT FOR GAS THIS MORNING. AROUND FOUR-65 A GALLON.

THE AVERAGE PRICE FOR A GALLON OF GAS HERE IN SOUTHWEST FLORIDA IS ABOUT THREE DOLLARS AND 70 CENTS.

STATEWIDE THE AVERAGE IS A LITTLE LOWER, THREE DOLLARS AND 67 CENTS.

TOP STORIES 4 CAMPAIGN TRAIL TODAY-VOTOPS

WITH 30 DAYS UNTIL ELECTION DAY,

PRESIDENT OBAMA IS BACK ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL TODAY-

HE'LL BE CAMPAIGNING IN CALIFORNIA.

REPUBLICAN CHALLENGER MITT ROMNEY IS STILL IN FLORIDA.

HE'S SPEAKING AT A RALLY IN PORT SAINT LUCIE.

THAT'S ON THE EAST COAST.

TOP STORIES 5 THINGS TO DO TODAY-CG TOPS (2)

THERE'S A LOT HAPPENING ACROSS SOUTHWEST FLORIDA TODAY!

IF YOU HAVE SOME TIME TO GET OUT AND ENJOY IT. HERE ARE A FEW IDEAS.

ITALIAN FEST IS ON--

THE EVENT IS AT THE ALLIANCE OF THE ARTS. IN FORT MYERS.

IT'S TODAY.

FROM ELEVEN TO FIVE.

THERE IS A SUGGESTED FIVE DOLLAR DONATION.

OR YOU CAN HEAD OUT TO THE TASTE OF COCONUT POINT!

IT'S IN ESTERO.

FROM ELEVEN-THIRTY TO FOUR AT COCONUT POINT MALL.

YOU'LL FIND FOOD FROM 20 RESTAURANTS!

TODAY'S FORECAST-3-SHOT GRAPHIC

stream of tropical moisture across the Florida peninsula will crank out another day of scattered storms and high humidity for Southwest Florida. A fair amount of clouds will also litter our sky, only allowing for partial sunshine.

Rain chances are back in the forecast today, but most of the storms won't develop until the late afternoon and evening. It looks as though the prime time for rain, as we often see this time of year, will be from 5-8 p.m. One or two storms may be intense, producing heavy rain, lots of lightning, and gusty winds. The slow moving nature of the storms will present the risk for high rain totals in spots that get caught underneath one of the heavy downpours.

Temperatures will be fairly warm again today. We'll spend most of the morning in the mid to upper 70s and then warm to the mid to upper 80s by midday. Most places will see a high close to 90 before the afternoon storms develop, cooling the air slightly with stronger breezes along with more clouds cover.

By this evening a few storms will linger through 8-9 p.m., but tonight's storms shouldn't be as long lived as the ones we around Saturday night. We'll be left with a partly cloudy sky through the overnight with temperatures cooling to the mid 70s by early Monday.

Monday will feature a mix of sun and clouds along with another round of afternoon scattered storms, but changes are coming from Tuesday and beyond. A batch of dry air will slide into Southwest Florida through the day Tuesday, effectively squashing our rain chances for the second half of the week. A few showers and storms will still be possible Tuesday afternoon, but the areal coverage should be much lower.

Wednesday through Friday will be mostly dry with plentiful sunshine and some patchy afternoon clouds. Highs will still be rather warm as we top out close to 90, but a slight dip in humidity will make the air feel a little more comfortable.

CLOSE-3-SHOT